Artist tells faceless girls’ stories through creations

News Date:

Sun. 12/01/2013

Jan Seawell-Reckers came to the world of professional art as a means of distraction from everyday life. Formerly a holistic nutrition counselor, she needed something playful and spontaneous in her life.

“There were no expectations, no desires to be an artist,” Seawell-Reckers said in her artist statement. “My only intention was to distract my overactive mind with paint brushes and pretty colors so I could better hear my inner voice. Storytelling has been present throughout my life in music, writing and conversations about wellness in my nutrition practice. What keeps me in my studio every day is the next story I want to tell on the canvas.”

Seawell-Reckers has some of her acrylic on canvas pieces on exhibit until Dec. 21 at Friends University. An artist reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 6 in the Riney Fine Arts Gallery.

Seawell-Reckers’ creations have a common theme of faceless girls throughout – girls with multilayer identities, “making mixed media the perfect means to bring them to life.”

“I choose to omit facial features or expressions because I want the girls to live always in the moment. Moods change, expressions shift. What they are feeling at any given moment may be whatever the viewer is experiencing,” she said.

Woven throughout her work are layers of history in the form of vintage music magazine papers.

“When I have a message rolling around in my mind that doesn’t necessarily match a girl, I give that message its own canvas. For me it is important to include something that has aged, some material which has seen a bit of life, to every piece. Each girl is made up of all her experiences and all her ancestors’ experiences. It can be profound to look at our ancestors’ patterns; even more profound to discover those same patterns in our history.”

Both the exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. For more information about Seawell-Recker, visit her website at PeaceMealArt.com. For more information about this event or other Fine Arts events, please contact the Fine Arts Box Office at 316-295-5677 or finearts@friends.edu.